Vertically telescoping intermediate plate for additional height on pallet forks

[Rhodium]

Hi all,

I'm moving into a new house with a nice elevated storage area in the barn where I'd love to make use of my pallet forks. The challenge is that from concrete to the top is 92" (which can't change), and my LA535 loader doesn't quite reach that high. I have a third function on my LX2610, so am considering getting a set of male and female quick-attach components, some square tubing, and a hydraulic cylinder (or two), and welding up a vertically telescoping intermediate attachment that would go between the loader and the pallet fork attachment. I only need about another 12" of lift to get pallets up into this area, and am not lifting anything all that heavy. Has anybody done this? Thoughts? Advice?

Thanks in advance, and have great weekend.

Cheers,
John

 

[GreensvilleJay]

The easy way.....
place load on 3 or 4 more pallets... you've raised it up 12". or build a custom heavy duty boxed 'skid' that's 12" tall.
..it's also safer, cheaper and FAST to make !!

sure what you post could work but a LOT of designing,cutting, welding is involved...

BTW my old forklift went 9', bought it AFTER I'd built the shop mezzanine at 10'.....sigh
THAT is why came up the 3-4 extra pallets idea.....

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Thats quite the dilemma.

If I understand the problem correctly, just placing the load on top of a 12" high box will not help.

The load would be above the "shelf" but the "box" the load is on would still hit.

If I am understanding it correctly, it sounds to me that you would have to make it so the forks themselves are above the shelf?

It sounds to me that is what you are thinking too?

 

[GreensvilleJay]

hmm.
turn forks upside down on tractor,load skid, raise and place....... ?

 

[wsurff]

hmm2
12" ramps?

 

[Bisleybob]

I like Jay's idea, build a spacer box, strong enough, and add a pallet jack to the mezzanine. If load is level, and osha is not watching, you can use the pallet jack to pick off of the spacer box. It would still likely be cheaper and easier than adding a riser to your forks

 

[mcmxi]

I have a third function on my LX2610, so am considering getting a set of male and female quick-attach components, some square tubing, and a hydraulic cylinder (or two), and welding up a vertically telescoping intermediate attachment that would go between the loader and the pallet fork attachment. I only need about another 12" of lift to get pallets up into this area,

An interesting problem for sure.

Is your loader SSQA compatible? What you're envisioning is doable of course, but if you have an SSQA compatible loader you'd need a SSQA plate to attach the square tubing to, and then SSQA compatible plates to connect to your pallet forks. Then there's the issue of securing the pallet forks to the "adapter" since the cams or locks are on the loader and not on the adapter.

If your bucket or pallet forks are pin on it'd be a lot easier and the paragraph above is moot. Maybe it's time for a bigger tractor.

 

[Russell King]

Perhaps it would be easier to install a beam track and trolley system from the truss peak?

like these examples

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.

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Or look at lifting platforms

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.

www.mcmaster.com

 

[jaxs]

As already mentioned,add one or more pallets to raise load. If that's too redneck,build a custom platform and paint it Kubota Orange to match your tractor.

Now let's talk about the elephant in the room. With 65.5 wheelbase and 53.7 width you are flirting with flipping your tractor. More people are killed from overextending capabilities of compact tractors than operating heavy road and construction equipment.

 

[Rhodium]

Thats quite the dilemma.

If I understand the problem correctly, just placing the load on top of a 12" high box will not help.

The load would be above the "shelf" but the "box" the load is on would still hit.

If I am understanding it correctly, it sounds to me that you would have to make it so the forks themselves are above the shelf?

It sounds to me that is what you are thinking too?

This is correct. Also looking to avoid the fork flip strategy because of the back and forth with it. Looking for something seamless and quick

 

[Rhodium]

An interesting problem for sure.

Is your loader SSQA compatible? What you're envisioning is doable of course, but if you have an SSQA compatible loader you'd need a SSQA plate to attach the square tubing to, and then SSQA compatible plates to connect to your pallet forks. Then there's the issue of securing the pallet forks to the "adapter" since the cams or locks are on the loader and not on the adapter.

If your bucket or pallet forks are pin on it'd be a lot easier and the paragraph above is moot. Maybe it's time for a bigger tractor.

LOL!! I would love a bigger tractor, but my wife may have other opinions . Correct, my LA535 is SSQA compatible, and I have an SSQA pallet fork loader attachment (something like THIS). Was thinking of getting something like the two links below and welding up the telescoping hardware between them with a ram or two in there. I would SSQA the loader to the telescoping attachment, and then SSQA the telescoping attachment to the pallet fork loader.

Male SSQA
Female SSQA plate

 

[Rhodium]

As already mentioned,add one or more pallets to raise load. If that's too redneck,build a custom platform and paint it Kubota Orange to match your tractor.

Now let's talk about the elephant in the room. With 65.5 wheelbase and 53.7 width you are flirting with flipping your tractor. More people are killed from overextending capabilities of compact tractors than operating heavy road and construction equipment.

I definitely agree with this and respect the danger you bring up. I wouldn't be lifting anything too heavy (housewares and the like), and am only looking for another ~12" vertical lift. I'm thinking those two data points, and the fact that I'm on level concrete make this viable as long as I use proper thought and caution (as with any machinery). Again, great point. Thank you!

 

[mikester]

Used forklifts are cheap. I ended up buying a 5K lbs unit with side shift and 18 foot lift. I wish I bought it 30 years ago.

 

[Flintknapper]

Thats quite the dilemma.

If I understand the problem correctly, just placing the load on top of a 12" high box will not help.
The load would be above the "shelf" but the "box" the load is on would still hit.

^^^^^
Correct.

IF the OP's intention is to lift items on a pallet to the height specified AND leave them on a pallet, then adding pallets underneath will accomplish nothing.

I suppose there are several ways to remedy the problem, but personally....I wouldn't spend any time or effort trying to make a forklift out of a tractor.

Seems a couple of 12" ramps (already suggested) or a ramped 'deck' would be easy enough to construct.

 

[mcmxi]

^^^^^
Correct.

IF the OP's intention is to lift items on a pallet to the height specified AND leave them on a pallet, then adding pallets underneath will accomplish nothing.

Exactly! I was wondering why some were suggesting this since it wouldn't help unless the person was trying to slide a pallet off the "stack" by hand onto a shelf.

 

[mcmxi]

LOL!! I would love a bigger tractor, but my wife may have other opinions . Correct, my LA535 is SSQA compatible, and I have an SSQA pallet fork loader attachment (something like THIS). Was thinking of getting something like the two links below and welding up the telescoping hardware between them with a ram or two in there. I would SSQA the loader to the telescoping attachment, and then SSQA the telescoping attachment to the pallet fork loader.

Male SSQA
Female SSQA plate

Yep, that's what I was thinking. There's more involved making a SSQA compatible adapter but a cool project for sure.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Still.....flipping the forks cost nothing and gains 16" of height.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Instead of a box, how about a C shape.

Picture this (best I can do on an Apple....)

It would be a "work around" cause you would have to load it, then go around back and pick it up. It would however allow you to put it on your "shelf", if I'm picturing it correctly.

 

[mcmxi]

Still.....flipping the forks cost nothing and gains 16" of height.

That would work if you're moving pallets off a trailer or something, but you're not going to pick a pallet off the floor with that arrangement.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

true, first you put your stuff on the top skid of 5, take it to the 'mezzanine'....
or load the skid at back breaking ground level, lift and place on top of stack of 4 skids, flip forks, grab skid of stuff, take to mezzanine.